Shang Xia SS22 delivers super-luxe fashion for a future generation
An invigorating, palate-cleansing debut from Yang Li at Shang Xia SS22 yesterday.
The Beijing-born, Australia-raised designer showed his futuristic luxury vision for gen-2050 in a quest to put Chinese design centre stage. “It’s like imagining an empty chair at a round table of luxury fashion brands that should be for a Chinese representative. What a great mission to embark on. We’re going to give it our best go,” Li told Vogue.
As a breather from the maximalist showbiz of Fashion Month so far, we saw 90s-flavoured unlined leather coats and flat-front pants with signature Yang Li cape-detail dresses in fabrics that look deceptively simple from afar but I’m sure are ravishing when seen – and felt – in the flesh. Offsetting the sleek black separates were pops of neon orange and yellow on waistbands, box bags and surprisingly wearable trousers. The cool-girl casting and minimalist styling added to the appeal for me, not least as Joe McKenna was styling the show.
The Shanghai-based brand was launched 10 years ago as a joint venture between Hermès and the Chinese designer Qiong Er Jiang. It’s now majority owned by Italy’s Exor luxury holding company. I was expecting a certain level of youthful verve for this show, while being slightly fearful it would go full throttle hypebeast. Thankfully, it struck just the right balance.
WORDS: Disneyrollergirl / Navaz Batliwalla
IMAGES: Shang Xia SS22
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